From the moment Dianne was born, cancer cast a long and ominous shadow over her life. It was 1978, and her mother, a 24-year-old medical technologist and young mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer just four months after Dianne’s birth. At the time, her youth worked against her; doctors dismissed the possibility of cancer until she insisted on further investigation. By the time it was confirmed, the disease had already begun to spread. Her mother endured multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and she even sought unconventional treatment beyond the borders, but the cancer proved relentless. She died when Dianne was just shy of four years old, leaving behind not only profound grief, but a haunting legacy that would shape the rest of Dianne’s life.
Raised by her father and grandparents, and later a stepmother as well, Dianne and her brother carried on, but the threat of cancer continued to lurk in the background of their lives. Her mother’s sister, who was like a mother to Dianne and her brother, was diagnosed in the 1980s, and after a brief attempt to manage the disease with alternative treatment, she passed away just months after Dianne learned she was sick.
The pattern continued and was heartbreaking. Dianne’s cousin was diagnosed at the age of 27, five months postpartum in 2009. She underwent a double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation, but still lost her life to the disease at the age of 34.
By the time Dianne turned 25, her doctor recommended she begin annual mammograms and ultrasounds – an unusually early start, but one that reflected her family’s devastating history with breast cancer.
Choosing to remain hopeful, Dianne got married, had two children, focused on her career with the federal government, and settled into a busy and fulfilling life.
When her cousin’s cancer returned, genetic testing was fairly new, and a mutation of the BRCA1 gene was found. This was shared with relatives, which led Dianne to consider genetic testing that might reveal whether she carried the same gene mutation that could increase her odds of developing cancer, but she opted against it.
“I talked to my doctor, and she said it really wouldn’t change our course of action; we were doing all the screening,” she explains. “If I had the gene, I didn’t need the stress of that hanging over me. And even if I didn’t have the gene, I could still get cancer. A preventative bilateral mastectomy wasn’t something women did at that time.”
By her 40th birthday, Dianne felt cautiously optimistic. “I thought I was in the clear. I had been having mammograms for decades. And anyway, I was practically geriatric compared to other family members who’d been diagnosed,” she said.
Then COVID hit and everything changed. Her longtime doctor retired, and there were two temporary physicians before a new permanent one was hired.
“It was just such a weird time. I was working full-time from home, and we were understaffed. The kids were doing school from home, and I supplemented with additional activities to keep them busy while I worked. I was stretching myself thin by trying to be a super mom, supportive and caring supervisor and loving wife. When the kids went back to school, I continued working from home, trying to keep my team of employees motivated (as we faced uncertainty within our unit). It was a lot. I fell behind in my self-care. I didn’t get a mammogram for a few years,” she said.
In January 2022, Dianne’s family endured another loss to cancer – her father died of a brain tumour. Again, Dianne kept her sights trained on family and work; her kids, busy in sports, were her grounding force.
But early that spring, she began feeling pain in her left breast, in the area where she had a long-time lump that was considered a benign lipoma. Since her doctor had not been replaced, she saw one of the doctors at the clinic who did a quick exam at her annual physical and wasn’t concerned. The pain subsided, but when it returned in the fall, she trusted her instincts and booked a mammogram.
“I was really worried. For the first time, I asked my husband to drive me to the appointment. The mammogram was incredibly painful; I was trying not to cry the whole time,” she said.
In the ultrasound that followed, two tumours were detected, and Dianne was offered a biopsy that same day.
“I barely remember any of the appointment after that — my anxiety had kicked in,” she said.
When she learned that the results showed cancer, Dianne recalls being baffled by the straightforward pronouncement by the doctor and the fact that few details were provided. “My husband and I were like, wait, what? What exactly is it? Where do we go from here?” Eventually, they learned that it was a genetic mutation and that the tumours were a level three, but they did not appear to have metastasized.
Without hesitation, Dianne opted for the full regimen of treatment – chemotherapy and immunotherapy, followed by a bilateral mastectomy, then radiation.
“I shaved my head before I started treatment. I didn’t want it falling out in clumps and alarming my kids,” she said. With undeniable courage, she somehow summoned positivity and humour in the coming months, naming tumours and joking with the oncology nurses.
At first, she stopped working, but she missed her routine and sense of purpose. “I was feeling pretty good during chemo, so I went back to work just to keep my mind busy.” When the second round of chemotherapy hit harder, she took a medical leave and began to focus on self-care.
Miraculously, the tumours began shrinking, and post-mastectomy, Dianne heard the glorious words “complete pathological response to treatment” – meaning she was in remission. Still, she continued with radiation, 6 months of immunotherapy, followed by salpingo-oophorectomy surgery.
Grounded at Wellspring
Somewhere during treatment, Dianne’s nurse practitioner introduced her to the Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) program. This is what opened the door to her finding Wellspring Alberta.
“I’m introverted, and sometimes I find it hard to socialize,” she said. “But when I joined ACE, I met two women I really connected with, and we started meeting up and going to social events at Wellspring.”
Her first program at Wellspring was Zentangle – a meditative drawing class. “To my surprise, I didn’t find it hard at all. I’m like, oh my God, I can do this!” she said.
With time on her hands during treatment, she signed up for numerous other art programs, including felting, pottery, drumming, painting, Nourish and more.
“I was always a creative child, but you grow out of it. Life gets busy and there’s no space for doodling and colouring and things that might have once been fun,” she said. “I think I maintained my creative outlook – using creativity to problem-solve at work, but what Wellspring allowed me to do was to actually take back my artistic creativity that I didn’t even realize was missing.”
Wellspring also helped her stretch and grow, while providing a sanctuary of compassion and support.
“I used to avoid trying new things. I didn’t want to look silly. But at Wellspring, I was always trying new things and learning that I could do them. It gave me confidence, not just in art, but in interacting with others. I was having conversations, finding common ground with people, and having fun,” she said.
Dianne attended a family program with her husband and children that included weekly dinners and sessions with other families affected by cancer. “Even though I was mostly through treatment by then — just waiting for the reconstructive surgery — it gave the kids a chance to connect with others, to peel back the layers and talk about how they were feeling. I think it gave them new perspectives and an appreciation for what we’d been through,” she said.
She also joined online offerings like Healing Journey, Brain Fog and speaker events on topics that were interesting and relevant. “One speaker explained how immunotherapy works, and that really helped me make sense of what I was going through,” she said.
Dianne’s gratitude for Wellspring runs deep. “The staff is so welcoming. The program leaders are unbelievable — so accepting. At Wellspring, I feel at home. I feel like I can be myself,” she said.
Now two years in remission and easing back into work life, she looks back on her experience with clarity.
“The connections I made were just so amazing, and the benefits of the programs immense — they brought me back to creativity in a playful art form. When you have a lot going on in your life, play time and self-care are often overlooked, and Wellspring allowed that to come back in my life and to help me remember that I need to take care of myself,” she said.
As for family support, Dianne points to uplifting comments that helped keep her strong as she embarked on a path that other family members hadn’t come through.
“My journey was my journey and no one else’s, and I had the good fortune of having been followed for so many years that there was no question that the mammogram and ultrasounds in November 2022 were going to alter the course of my life, but in a way that allowed me a chance that no one else had had in my family yet.”